Locking device for automobiles



J. SAIA LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES March 18 1924.

Filed Sept. 6, 1922 3mm, JUH/V SAL A Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

entrain srnrss JOHN SAIA, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed September 6, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN SAIA, a citizen of Italy, residing at 126 N. Fremont Ave, in the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locking devices for automobiles, and especially to an improved device for locking the pedals or footlevers of Ford automobiles. 7

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character that any person of ordinary mechanical ability can apply to the ordinary Ford pedals without changing the latter further than boring a few holes through the pedal levers or arms.

Another object is to provide a device of this character that is very difiicult and tedious to remove from the pedal-arms when properly applied, so that any one trying to remove the locking device would be liable to attract attention ofthose who would interfere.

A furtherobject is to provide a. device of this character that adds strength to the ped al-arms.

A further object is to provide a device of this character that is adjustable for compensating for wear of the parts operated by the pedals, also adjustable for causing the transmission mechanism to either lock the powerwheels very tightly or less tightly, according to whether or not the automobile may or may not be required to be moved while locked, or according tothe operators judgement in view of different parking laws.

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which each pedal-arm cooperates with the locking device for locking each of the other pedal-arms independently of extraneous objects connected to the looking device.

Another object is to provide a device of this character that has four different locking positions without removing or changing any part of the device; for all its rod-receiving holes are of the proper shape and in the proper relation for permitting the different locking positions to be attained at will of the operator. Therefore, the device can be locked at any desired position ,(as in Fig. 4) for conforming to different parking regulations and laws, and for making any required or desired adjustment in ordinary use.

Serial No. 586,442.

Another object in a. device of this character, which has four different locking positions, is to arrange its parts for being easily operated without special preparation or practice by the operator; for the operator does not have to practice for becoming familiar with the art or with this device for making the changes' The different positions are felt by the operators foot at a moments notice, just the same as the operator feels the difference in changing from low to high or to neutral, or in reversing, etc., for instance, putting the clutch in neutral and applying the brakes to stop at a certain spot, those positions are felt by the touch of the foot The same principles of the latter are used for lockingthis device at any desired position-just the same as operating the Ford automobile.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a right side elevation of the Ford pedal-arms having permanently attached parts of the locking device secured thereon, a part of the Ford gear-casing being shown in which the pedal-arms are pivotally mounted.

Fig 2 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, but the pedal-arms being in the locked position by the addition and insertion of the locking rod and a padlock engaged with the rod. I

Fig. 3 is a view of the pedal-arms and locking device as seen from the upper rear or in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the device in four different locking positions.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View of the permanently attachable member which fits the left-hand pedal-arm.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. v i

Fig. 7 is a side view of the locking rod.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views,

in the construction, application and arrangement or combination of parts as will now be fully described in the following:

In the ordinary construction of Ford automobiles, the gear-casing A is apertured at B to provide bearings for the shafts or pivots C on which are secured the respective pedal-arms D, E and F which control the clutch and the reversing and braking mechanisms, respectively. The upper ends of the pedal-arms unite with the middle parts of the pedal-plates G, and the latter have projecting lateral edges that expose their concave surfaces at right angles to the lateral sides oi the pedal-arms.

For attachment to the pedal-arms substantially where the latter unite with the pedal-platrs, I provide three locking members 10, 11 and 12 each having a groove or channel 13 which fits over the pedal-arm for which it is designed, as the upper ends oi the pedal-arms dii fer in curvature. The flanges or walls of the channels are provided with rivet-holes 11- which serve as guides or templets for use in drilli rivet-- holes through the pedal-arms, and rivet-holes of the locking members are counter-sunk tor receiving the heads or rivets 15 and prevent these heads from being out oli' with a cold chisel, The bottoms oi? the channels 13 are curved to conform to the fronts of the pedal-arms (that is, the side next to the front of the automobile), as shown by broken lines in the upper part of Fig. 1, and the upper rear edges of the channel-walls conform to the front surfaces oi the contiguous pedal-plates, respectively. VJhen these attachments are held in proper position and then released, they fall into their respective places on the pedaharms where they may be secured by the rivets and become permanent attachments.

Each of these permanently attached memhers is provided with a thickened appertured portion 16 and 16 through which a rod or headed bolt 17 is insertable for locking all the pedal-arms in a substantially fixed relation to one another and to the transmission gear-case, in view of these pedal-arms being secured on spaced and axially parallel shafts or pivots The rod 17 is apertured at 18 near the opposite end of the rod from its head. A pad-lock 19 of any appropriate kind may have its shackle inserted through the aperture 18, and when it is locked, the rod can not be removed from the members 10, 11 and 12, and so locks them and the pedals against operation.

[is the clutch-pedal normally stands in its high position, somewhat rearvmrd of the other pedals, its attaching member 16 is longer than the apertured parts 15, the aperture 1G being further from the channelbottom than the rod-receiving apertures of the parts 16 of the members 11 and 12; and to permit vertical adjustments of this arm 16, 1 preferably provide the same with a hinge or pivot-joint 20 whose pivot 20 has its ends headed, and these heads fit emma 01 the holes oif 'ier member, so t w 7 AW 1 power-who more or less lg i compensate tor wear of the local mechanism ar i the reversing molten-van, eceoi i niech an ism.

i Ji i 1 to ciicuuistances, de-

1 on $111 3 regulations or kl-HQ cities, the owner or utoinobile 1 loch the pedalof the tour eon? ations 1%, the trans-- d to moved t 'fiicient (tor changing pa resistance to iinf -z chine, By pl v i t e irontape ture of the aperture of the right-hand device, the automobile ca be moved short distance with comparative ease. ordinary locking, the rod 17 is placed in the rear hole or each of the members .11 and 12. For locking so tightly that the automobile can not be cranked, the rod 17 is placed in the rear hole 01 the member 11 and the trout hole of the member 12.

By providing the thickened portions 16 and 16, 1 not only provide long bearing surfaces for the rod 17, for preventing the rod 1? from being swung in any plane of its axis; but l also add strength or these parts for preventing them iroin being broken by a would-be thief in attempting to kick the levers tree from the lock. Such attempt would also be baliled by the fact that the locking device engages the pedal-arms at their upper ends, so there is no leverage obtained to assist the would-be thiei in the attempt to break the lock. The channelwalls and bottom also greatly reeniorce and strengthen the pedal-arms.

The holes 21 are made somewhat oblong to compensate for inaccuracies which might result irom wear of the transmission mechanism, also from diii'erent relative positions of the pedal-arms.

W hen the device is locked in either the first or last arrangement or relation shown in Fig. i, the danger o'l injury to the locked automobile is reduced by the fact that if another automobile shoves it, its transmission mechanism will yield to the pressure or shock, not being frozen tight. 7

will be seen that a loclnng device of this character can do and attached at comparatively slight cost and that it ettects a rictional locking of the automobile by posit vely locking its controlling pedals, so that we automobile can be moved slowly for re-parking, without injury to any of its parts; but it can not be operated by its own engines power while thus locked.

It is not intended to limit this invention to the exact construction here shown, but changes may be made within the scope of the inventive idea as described and claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The locking device which includes members permanently and rigidly united with pedal-arms of an automobile and each being provided with bolt-receiving apertures, each of the apertures of each of said members being movable into alinement with each aperture of another of these members, and a bolt seatable in the alined apertures, for securing these members in different relative positions, means being provided to lock the bolt against removal from the alined apertures.

2. The locking device which includes members each provided with a channel to receive a pedal arm of an automobile, each 0t these members being apertured through said channel to receive rivets for securing it to the pedal-arm, each of these members also being apertured to receive a locking element, a locking element seatable in these boltreceiving apertures, and locking means to secure the locking element against removal from the volt-receiving apertures 3. The locking device which includes three channeled members, the channels of these members being respectively shaped to conform to and receive the upper rear parts of the pedaLa-rms oil a Ford automobile, the channel-walls being apertured to receive rivets for securing these members to the pedal-arms, each of these members being provided with bolt-receiving apertures therethrough at right angles to the channels, a bol+u seatable in the said apertures, and locking means to secure said bolt against being removed from said apertures.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN SAIA. 

